One of the small buildings that flank the steps up to the amphitheatre, where the Library has a summer movie series, weddings happen, and teenagers hang out when they should be doing something better but don’t.  That elm is a living sculpture–I ADORE that tree!

I’ve been busy with a watercolor class and working on a quilt that I can’t share (oh the pain!) until after jurying is done–which means not until early APRIL!   So instead I’ll entice you with today’s beauty.  I have no idea how I have been so lucky to live in such beautiful places, including here.  The snow started drifting down about breakfast time today.  It is also exam week, which means the high school lets out early.  We went to pick Eli up then have lunch in town before his orthodontist appointment, so we ate at our favorite diner in town (Marriner’s) and then picked up a book at the library.  How gorgeous is this place?   The photo above is the building at the entrance to the amphitheatre park next to the library–that elm is gorgeous at any time.

When I visited Camden for the first time, coming to buy our house here in 2004, I fell in love with the library, and the love continues.  Here’s the main entrance, but you can see the original building on the green above.  When they did the big expansion in 1996, the literally “dug deep” but you’d never know it when you are inside. That wall on the left is where the first crocus–warmed by the south-facing view and the stone wall–come up in spring, usually 3-4 weeks ahead of anywhere else.  So wonderful:

The main entrance to the Camden Public Library

Here are the rugosa roses clothed in thorns and snow,

I love the look of stone tracery when the snow clings to bare branches.

And the harbor, with the schooners shrink-wrapped for winter:

The harbor, looking over harbor park (which in July is the best fireworks-watching spot in town). I love the way the sky and sea disappear into one another without a horizon.

I’ll share some of the watercolor class exercises once I take photos!

Someone from one of the Janome yahoo lists that I am on asked me a great question, and since my answer was detailed, I thought maybe it might help others so I decided to post it here.  Apologies in advance for the length.  Here’s the incoming (shortened) inquiry followed by my reply.  Bottom line, I am THRILLED with the Janome machines I have had the fortune to use since 2004:  each new version just keeps getting better and better.  They have been utterly dependable with great stitch quality and all the features I need most.  What you need to do is figure out what YOU need, then find the machine that best meets those needs.  There is no such thing as the one and only perfect machine–just what is best for you.

Here’ s Gandalf, “my” new Janome 8900.  He replaces Rubeus Hagrid, the brilliant Janome 7700.  I must say, I DO miss that ruby red, but I think the changes on this machine make it even better (hard to fathom!) than the 7700.  As always, thanks to Janome America for their support since 2004!  (And that odd black thing hanging on the machine’s harp is a Martelli quilting ring…go back a couple of posts for more information.)

Hi Sarah,
I’m sorry to bother you.  ….!  I hope to retire within the next four years and dedicate more time to sewing/quilting.  In the meantime though, I would like to invest in a very nice sewing machine.  I currently sew with an XXXX .  I am curious in your opinion of which brand I should buy.  Thanks for your time. (Note: she specifically asked about Bernina and Janome machines, hence the brands in my reply which follows.)  Signed, XXX

Dear XXX:

That’s a decision you’ll have to make, alas.  Berninas are brilliant machines, at a very high price.  Some of the machines (all brands) have become–for me anyway–too complicated!   I like having the computerized machine, but there is a point where you need a Master’s in Computer Science to navigate all of it.  Just too much…and sometimes too finicky.  Where the line is depends on the individual user.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING:  figure out what you need and will use.  When we built a house in 1997-8, our builder told us to list Need, Want, Wish.  All items on the “need” list should be in the house, a number of the wants, and even a wish or two.  For example, we needed three bedrooms, a kitchen, and two baths.  We wanted an extra half-bath and a studio space for me.  That sort of thing.   So sit down and list what you need on a sewing machine.  For me, the list would be something like this:

• Harp space for Free-motion quilting.
• Really good balanced tension.
• Good satin stitch.
• “Single” (not boldface) blanket stitch
• Small increments to increase/decrease stitch width and length on zigzag, blanket stitch, straight stitch, and blind hem stitch (.01 as opposed to .05, that sort of thing)
• Good lighting
• Good local dealer/support

Bernina machines I sometimes say are all the quality at double the cost.  Janome gives outstanding value for the price:  what you can get on a 7700 or 8900 would *easily* cost $2-3000 (yes thousands) more in another brand, and the other brands might not be as reliable.   Bernina has the best presser foot system (changing, quality of manufacture) in the industry bar none–but their feet are expensive.  So buy a sturdy metal  foot for $40?  Or buy a Janome foot that does the same thing for $10 then replace it in a decade if/when it wears out?    So far, I’ve not had a single Janome foot die from over-use, and I use my machine a lot.

Once you’ve figured out WHAT you need, then figure out what simple set of things will allow you to test different machines.  When I bought a machine in 1996 just before leaving the rat race (and the nice salary), I took a quilt sandwich to each dealer and tried different things on it, writing my notes on the white cloth.  If you make garments and buttonholes, take some stabilizer and cloth similar to what you would use and test-drive the buttonholes.  Put notes right on the cloth (or safety pin or staple paper to the sample) to remind you what you thought as you made it:  was the process easy/intuitive?  Convoluted?

Repeat this process at each dealer/brand/machine.  Then think about it.  And don’t forget that a top dealer with good, courteous, prompt customer service is worth their weight in gold!

A couple years ago, when the Bernina 830 came out, I test drove it and frankly, it was amazing,  but so far beyond my budget… so I applied to be in the Bernina teacher program despite misgivings because Janome has been SO good to me.  Bernina never really answered.  And since then I’ve heard some grumbling about the 830 being TOO complicated and finicky but don’t know if that is operator error or what–there are always people who grumble.

I LOVE that the Janomes are so dependable, take any thread you put on them and sew well, etc.  And the price–even if I were paying full retail–is a fraction of the Bernina, Viking, etc.  Not sure about BabyLock as I have never lived anywhere that had a BL dealer, so have no experience with them at all.    And since that time, Janome came out with the 7700 which was pretty close to being my dream machine, and I’m thinking that the 8900 is even better (except I wish it still had that ruby red instead of the silver-gray!).

BOTTOM LINE:  I’m really glad Bernina didn’t offer me the opportunity to try their machines on a teacher loan program.  Since then the 7700 has come out and now the 8900, and they are simply FABULOUS machines.  I’m definitely a Janome girl!

As for Top of the Line versus better but not most expensive in a given brand , last summer when teaching at Vermont Quilt Festival, one of the muckety mucks from Janome ended up sitting in my classroom for an hour or so at lunch.  I had opted to stay and teach through lunch, and they needed someone in the class and were able to accommodate my desire to keep the classroom open.  Well, he must have liked what I was teaching and how, because he offered to have Janome lend me a 12000 that I could take home from the show!!!! So I went down to test-drive it.  Answer:  brilliant machine, thank you SO MUCH for the generous offer, but not for me.  It didn’t have the two feet I use most:  open toe accu-feed, and circular free-motion foot (the one in the convertible set).  [Note:  I’ve heard that the open toe accu-feed will be out this month, and there is now a free-motion foot that would meet my needs that fits on the 12000.]  That ruled the machine out right there.  Plus, to change tension you had to go through several screens on the computer.  I don’t like computer interface stuff–there’s nothing wrong with it, I just vastly prefer the simplicity and ease of turning a dial or knob like you can on the 6600, 7700 and 8900!  It’s one of those “what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream things.”   So I thanked the Janome honcho, said it was a fabulous machine but wasn’t the best machine for me.  The embroidery capabilities would be wasted on me…. I’d rather wait until whatever was going to replace the 7700 came along—and that I hoped it had the visibility around the presser foot of the 12000 on the 7700 body.  Well, guess what the 8900 is?  Exactly that!    So I think I’m going to be very happy with this machine.  It’s a matter of figuring out what YOU need and will work for you, then comparing the machines/brands/models until you find the best fit.

Hope this VERY long reply helps, and think I’ll post it to the groups, too, as others may have the same question!  Thank you for asking!

Cheers, Sarah

Author of bestseller ThreadWork Unraveled
website: https://www.sarahannsmith.com
blog: https://www.sarahannsmith.com/weblog
e-mail: sarah@…………

PS:  Someone asked about the knob/dial on the 7700 and 8900:  it is actually a dial that you see when you flip up the lid on the top of the machine.  If you think of the dial like a tire, the “tread” shows on the top curve of the dial.  Just above and to the right of the take-up lever area (which is that gray stripe up the front left of the machine) is where   the dial is located.  It is a manual adjustment and easy pease:  see, do!

Just a quick pop in to say hi and share two photos.  I didn’t know we were going to be getting any weather in, and look what a beautiful sight I woke up to this morning:

A lovely surprise this morning

And here is where we’ve been the past two days:  the Sanford Invitational wrestling tournament.  It is in southern Maine, an invitational of top teams from New England from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.  The competition is probably at the highest level you will see in Maine.  One of our state champions from last year who IS a really good wrestler didn’t even place!   The meet last weekend at Noble and this weekend at Sanford are so competitive, that they award medals to the top six, not the usual top 4.

Usually, Camden Hills is among the top 3 or 4 teams at Sanford, but we lost 7 of 13 starters to graduation last year, and two of the remaining varsity wrestlers were unable to compete due illness/injury.  That meant we had a whopping 4 kids of 13 who had competed there before.  Still, FIVE managed to place:  four came in 5th:  James Archer, Chris Weiss, Connor Winchenbach and Jared Gilbert, (Connor is a Junior, the others are sophomores), and ELI came in 6th!  Yes, as a Freshman he PLACED at Sanford!   So we are popping proud of our boy, of all the kids who wrestled, and the entire team who came along (even the one with a bad stomach flu came down with his mom to cheer on the team as best he could) to support the wrestlers.  Way to go CHills! (short for Camden Hills Regional High School).

The critical win: the other boy was in the lead by 8+ points, a “major decision,” when Eli realized well into the final period that is was do-it-or-die. He DID it! And here is the result… Eli has the kid in a pin, and the ref is down looking to see if both shoulder blades are on the mat for one second. DONE! It is remarkable for any Freshman to medal at Sanford, and especially not in one of the major competitive weight classes (it is still difficult, but not as bad, in the extreme upper and lower weight classes as there are fewer wrestlers in the 220+ weights or the 106 and 113 pound classes).  That’s the sound of mama’s buttons popping with pride!

And if there are any other wrestling moms out there, here is an article in the PenBay Pilot, a local online newspaper.

And a PS:  thank you Dorothy for asking what a Freshman is!  We have kindergarten (usually age 5), then eight “primary and middle school” grades starting at age 6.  High school is grades 9-12, and Freshman is the 9th grade, followed by Sophomore, Junior and Senior.  I’ll add that to the blog!

What a concept, I actually got some quilting done!

Chair, Improved with color and cloth!

I do seem to be in procrastination mode, though.  I need to start a quilt for a juried invitational.  I did sketch out the idea and pull some fabrics.  I decided I need to dye some fabric, so I have washed the silk and hung it to dry, and plan on dyeing that cloth on Monday.  But did I do anything else on that quilt?  Nope.  Instead I had a tidy attack in the studio, then decided that after a year-plus of fabric hanging over the back of this chair (and falling off again, and again, and again), I needed to actually QUILT the fabric and turn it into the cover I wanted.

Mom’s desk chair. Well made. Seriously dated. And just blech.

The chair came from Mom, after she died.  It didn’t sell in the consignment store and is a well-made chair, albeit one that looks exactly like what it is:  a chair an old lady bought in 1972.  Ugh.   I really don’t like chairs with cane backs.  The fruitwood finish is pretty dated and icky, too, but I’ll deal with that later.

And, Janome America (thank you!) upgraded me to an 8900 on their artist/teacher program, so of course I needed to take it for a test quilt-drive, right?   Turns out I am in love yet again with these Janome machines.  I have lots of playing to do with this one, but really like the cleaner view around the presser foot, the quiet operation, ease of use, fabulous tension… sigh!   Love these machines!  And so thankful that Janome-America has supported me these many years.

Perfect excuse for not working on that quilt.  So I took a length of this wonderful, cheery floral and quilted it.  I grabbed some teal fabric I’ve had for about 15+ years (bought to be a backing and then not used) since it would be on the inside and not seen.  As it turns out, the teal looked really good and I ended up using it for the binding!  I hadn’t planned on doing a binding; I was just going to turn the quilted fabric like a pillowcase and slip it over the back.  But the teal blue really added to it, so I added bindings.

And from the front. Next: re-cover the seat with something that goes better than plain old cream.

Also, about a month or so ago, someone on a list I’m on recommended a Martelli’s quilting ring and had a discount code to use if one ordered during a short window of opportunity.  The discount took the price from “are you KIDDING?” to”expensive but I want to try it and at least it is a business expense for me.”   So I ordered it.  About 2/3 of the way through quilting yesterday, I remembered I had the quilting ring (I bought the 11″/large version which you can see/order here) and should actually TRY IT.  I like it!   Some folks on the Yahoo Janome group I’m on (for 6500-8900 machines) had mentioned using two of Sharon Shamber’s red hoops, stacked, but said this was easier.  I agree!  Here’s the hoop just tucked under the foot (there is a cut-out that permits slipping under the presser foot).

The Martelli hoop on the chair cover as I was quilting it.  On the left of the hoop you can see the cut-out for slipping it under the presser foot.

And here it is moved all the way over to the harp, a large space, on the Janome 8900.

And moved as far right as it can go. This is the large, 11″ hoop on the Janome 8900. Both knobs are visible, useful and don’t get in the way.  You can also gently grasp the hoop itself to maneuver it.

Even though I am VERY experienced at free-motion quilting, I can see that using this hoop will help me on some sorts of movements…longer smoother lines especially.  For small detailed work, like intricate quilting on a face or small space with lots of direction changes,  I think using my Machingers gloves may still be the best, but this hoop worked very well and was easy to adjust to using.  In particular, the knobs and the thickness of the hoop are friendly to arthritic hands.  Unlike the red hoops from Sharon Shamber and other hoop-type devices, the bulk of this one means you don’t have to use that pinching motion that hurts the thumbs.  I can rest my fingers outside the hoop, hooking my thumbs around the knob and move the quilt underneath easily.

When you get to the edge, the grippy stuff on the bottom of the hoop has a propensity to grip the machine/table surface when a segment of the hoop is off the quilt.  There are a couple of options:  pin some fabric/hand towel to the edge to give the hoop something on which to rest.  OR, as I discovered (photo below) the size of the hoop is so large that you can swing it up and let it hang over the center section of the machine until you are around the corner! You don’t have to break your thread and remove the hoop…just swing it up out of the way. Also useful if you need to change the thread and/or bobbin.

You can (at least on my machine with this large hoop) temporarily get the hoop out of the way just by swinging it up and hanging it on the center of the machine. Useful for corners where too much of the grippy on the bottom is on the table surface instead of the quilt.

Cool beans!  That’s it for today.  In less than two hours (I’m writing this a day ahead of it going live on the site, so it is Friday morning as I type) I head out for the next Wrestling Tournament, the second and last of the overnight trips for this season.  I’ll post to FaceBook if I can!

My friend Cathy Neri, of Quilt Books Unlimited (visit her awesome booth at shows) sent me this clip on FB, and I just had to share, as you all know how much I adore our pug, Pigwidgeon.  Enjoy (and I’ll share what Cathy said:  spew alert…don’t have a mouthful of anything to drink!):